


Lay You Down Easy

by panthor



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I'm pushing my vertigo/anxiety onto thor and no one can stop me, Literal Sleeping Together, Multi, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Odin left him with a lot of responsibility, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Thor (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Thor (Marvel)-centric, Thor is Tired, aka can be read as platonic or romantic, thor is lowkey a slut for being cared for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 14:15:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15121196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panthor/pseuds/panthor
Summary: Thor is stressed about his new position as Asgard's king. Brunnhilde and Bruce are there to help.





	Lay You Down Easy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smolfem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolfem/gifts).



> oh look its been about 2 years since ive last posted so im due for a new fic
> 
> this is literally just self indulgent fluff i wanted thor to get a hug bc that poor guy needs it
> 
> also thank u to my wonderful bby @smolfem for being my beta for this,, i appreciate u so much

    As Thor has aged, he has discovered a shit ton of secrets that the Asgardian Royals have held. For starters, the _actual_  firstborn child of Frigga and Odin was not Thor, as he had been lead to believe, but a ruthless sister whose only goal was to take over the entirety of the Nine Realms by reigning destruction over everyone that stood in her way. That was only one of the many things Odin had kept in his little vault of surprises for Thor to unpack during and after Ragnarok. Really, what did Thor expect from a man who had lied countless times in the past? 

 

    While Thor was a generally understanding person, he couldn’t fathom why his father had kept so many secrets from his children. It was all too much for Thor to register in such a short period of time, along with the title of “King” being shoved at him. He really wished his sister hadn’t turned out to be a murderous villain, or else he would have given her the right to the throne in a heartbeat.

 

    It was ironic, because only a few years ago Thor had been hell bent on being king. His ego was fed by all the praise his father had given him and he had genuinely believed that it was his absolute right to rule over Asgard. Now, he wanted nothing to do with it. Not if it meant keeping secrets from his loved ones and making difficult decisions (like imprisoning his firstborn if they ended up displaying malevolent tendencies, for instance). But, the people of Asgard need a ruler, so he supposed he would have to buck up and assume the role he has grown to resent. 

 

    With everything that has happened as of late, Thor has definitely had to pick up the slack. There are people to feed, clothe, and emotionally support, with limited patience to tackle it all. Brunnhilde and Bruce have taken on as much of Thor’s responsibility as they can, something that he’s incredibly grateful for. Heimdall has spent most of his time leading the medical team and ensuring they were still on the right course to earth. Loki, on the other hand, has opted to stay out of the way as much as they can, which Thor understands. 

 

    When he can get away with it, Thor retreats back to his quarters to get away from the chaos of it all. Occasionally throughout the day, he will start to get a distant feeling in his head that usually only goes away after he spends some time alone. There is always a distinct moment when he can tell he needs to get away, and often tries to find someone to take his place while he regroups.He feels a pang of guilt whenever he has to sneak away from someone he’s dealing with, but sometimes everything is too overwhelming. 

 

    Right now is one of those times. Thor had been in the middle of fixing a family's sleeping arrangements for a reason he was too worn out to fully pay attention to. The newly-familiar haze behind his eye creeps up on him out of nowhere, and he is almost thankful for the excuse to slip away for a while. After promising to get back to them at a later time, he excuses himself and makes a bee-line straight for his quarters. 

 

    He leans against the wall for a brief moment, closing his eye and pinching the bridge of his nose. He makes it to the edge of his bed where he sits for a few minutes with his head in his hands, trying to catch his breath. It crosses his mind that these dizzy spells could be from stress and the lack of sleep he’s been put through the past few weeks, but chooses to put that fact aside. There isn’t any time for him to really relax now that he’s in charge, so he will just have to deal with the occasional lightheadedness to assure that everyone else is taken care of. 

 

    Brunnhilde is standing in the doorway to Thor’s room. He is fully aware of her presence but refrains from saying anything. She immediately notices that he is feeling unwell, and he is thankful for her ability to read his emotions. Over the time they have spent together, she has managed to figure him out completely and knows how to deal with him in almost every one of his moods. Which, considering how much of an open book Thor is, isn’t that much of an accomplishment, but nevertheless. 

 

    After a minute of her hovering, Thor turns his head in her direction and asks, “Do you plan on standing there all day?”

  

    He doesn’t mean to sound harsh, but his voice has a snappy edge to it. He grimaces at himself. 

 

    "I was waiting for an invitation, but seeing as I’m not getting one. . .“ Brunnhilde says teasingly, walking fully into the room and joining Thor on the bed. She rests her hand on top of his and squeezes gently.

   

    “What’s going on in there, big guy?” She taps her free index finger lightly against his temple. 

 

    “Nothing to worry about. How are you?” Thor asks with a small, pathetic excuse for a smile. Brunnhilde is not buying it at all. 

 

    “I’m all right, but I want to talk about you. You’ve been acting strange the past week. What’s going on?”

 

    _Dammit_ , Thor thinks to himself, _she’s too good._  He knows that no matter how much he tries to avoid her questioning, she’ll get the answers she wants out of him. Although deep down, Thor knows it will be better for him to talk about what’s going on rather than keeping everything to himself. He’s used to being the supportive friend, not the one who needs support. 

 

    Sighing, Thor looks down to meet Brunnhilde’s eyes. They are patient, as always. She won’t push him any further than he is comfortable with, and she’ll know if she’s hit a touchy subject. He trusts her to tell him what he needs to hear. 

 

    “These past few weeks have been incredibly overwhelming,” Thor starts with a quiet chuckle. “My father, may he rest peacefully, has left me with a lot to handle at once.”

 

    “You could say that again,” Brunnhilde says, smiling sadly at him. After a pause, she adds, “I know it’s been hard for you to adjust.”

 

    It has been _extremely_  hard to pick up where his father had so graciously dumped him. Not only was he forced to kill his sister to rescue the rest of his people, but he now has an entire population to care for. That alone was hard enough for a seasoned ruler to handle, but Thor? He has no idea what the hell he was supposed to do. Before, when he pictured becoming king, he imagined his parents would be there to guide him along in the transition. Granted, Heimdall is there to help him, but he still wishes that his mother and father could be here for him. Put simply, everything kinda sucked for Thor at the moment. 

 

    Brunnhilde waits silently as Thor collects his thoughts. She has been watching him for the past few weeks, noticing day after day how he has started to lose his energy. He’s no longer the positive, go-getter that she had met back on Sakaar. Now, he walks around the ship exhausted, almost anxious when someone calls upon him for something. It hurts, seeing him begin to deflate. He was so eager to save everyone just a few weeks ago, and now it seems as though he can’t be around his own people for longer than an hour before he has to excuse himself. She recognized it even if no one else had because she had gone through the same experience after the Valkyrie’s battle with Hela. 

 

    “I used to believe I would be a great ruler one day. My father always had high expectations for me as a child. He told me I would end up a better king than he was. He would tell stories of his adventures as Asgard’s king and I would dream about telling my own tales one day,” Thor says, stopping for a minute to take a deep breath. He looks down at Brunnhilde’s hand as she runs her thumb against the ring on his own hand, then continues. “Now. . . I am not sure this is what I am meant to do. I love the people of Asgard and would do anything to serve them, but the crown should be passed on to someone who is able to handle what the title entails. I am not that person.”

 

    “Thor, you are the most capable person for this job. No one loves Asgard more than you do," Brunnhilde argues.

 

    "I am not emotionally fit to be king. I physically cannot handle all of this. I haven’t slept in days, I can’t concentrate, I haven’t had any time to process any of this. I’m tired, Brunnhilde. I know it’s selfish of me to say because everyone is fucking tired, but I cannot take this much responsibility,” Thor is rambling now, having taken his hand back from Brunnhilde to wildly gesture as he talked. He’s out of breath, more disorganized than she has ever seen him. His raw emotions have finally come to the surface. 

 

    So, she takes his hand back in hers and waits for him to catch his breath. “Look at me,” she says softly. “You were meant to lead these people. I know that at the moment everything has turned to shit, but that’s life. It will not always be like this. Do you think your father always knew what he was doing? It may have seemed like it, but there were probably hundreds of times he felt like giving up. He worked through his hardships and took what he learned to become a better king. You will do the same. There is nothing wrong with taking breaks when you need to. No one is expecting you to be perfect, but they need you more than ever. I promise you, darling, you can do this.”

 

    Thor nods and hangs his head. Brunnhilde can see just how tired he is, how much he is still holding back. A tear falls from his eye, so she takes her hand away from his to gently wipe it away. It’s a simple gesture, but the kindness behind it is what tips Thor completely over the edge. Like always, she catches him and acts accordingly. 

 

    “Hey, c’mere,” she whispers, pulling Thor’s face towards hers. She strokes her thumb across his stubble a few times before lowering his head to rest on her shoulder. Thor grips onto her arm tightly, his body starting to shake as he lets himself cry against her. “You’re okay. Breathe, sweetheart.” She continues to whisper quiet comforts to him, but her words only make him shed more tears.

 

    Brunnhilde’s heart is heavy. Here she is, holding the literal God of Thunder, as he sobs into her armor. It pains her to see him so emotionally hurt, this strong individual who had been so used to putting everyone in his life first. She realizes just how much Odin’s shitty parenting has made an impact on Thor, even weeks after his passing. There was no preparation for this, nothing to help ease Thor into a position that he didn’t exactly fit into. He is a young man who needed the guidance of his parents to help him take on the harsh reality of the world, and he wasn’t given that privelege. Sure, he had Brunnhilde, and Bruce, and Loki, and Heimdall, but it isn’t the same. She feels just how unprepared he is for this, and it hurts. 

 

    At some point Bruce must have joined them because Thor feels another hand in his hair, fingers lightly scratching at the nape of his neck. The room feels fuzzy and his whole body is heavy as he lets himself fully rest against Brunnhilde. He’s so tired, and it is finally catching up to him. 

 

    The faint sound of the tap running in the washroom brings his mind out of its haze, and he takes in a sharp breath. Brunnhilde is rubbing his back, holding him so he doesn’t fall over. 

 

    “Thor? Can you sit up for me real quick, honey?” Bruce’s soft voice behind him confirms his presense in the room. Thor does as he’s asked, looking up to meet Bruce’s kind eyes. His own eyes feel heavy and his body is incredibly hot. Bruce sits right next to him, holding a wet cloth and a glass of water. He holds the glass out to Thor, who takes it with trembling hands. After a generous drink, he sets the water down on the floor and nods once at Bruce. 

 

    He almost feels ashamed to look at them. A supposedly mighty king, bawling in front of his two closest friends. Rationally, he knows that it’s silly of him to be embarrassed for having emotions, but there is still a part of his mind telling him he should have more of a handle on himself. 

 

    “How are you feeling?” Bruce asks. He tilts his head slightly and looks Thor in the eye, something Thor has noticed Bruce doing more often. 

 

    “Like shit,” Thor says, laughing despite himself. Seeing the looks on his companions’ faces, he quickly adds, “Thank you, though. For looking after me. I should wash up and go check on everyone outside.”

 

    Brunnhilde and Bruce both grab one of his arms as he begins to stand. “You should rest,” Brunnhilde counters. 

 

    "I’ve taken too much of a break for tonight. I will be fine, I promise. I will take a break if needed, but you were right, Brunnhilde. I need to take care of my people.” 

 

    Now, it’s Bruce’s turn to protest. “No, no, no. You’re taking the rest of the night off. Loki stepped in for you and Heimdall offered to take over for the rest of the night so you can get some sleep,” he says.

 

    “Don’t fight us on this, we’ll win,” Brunnhilde smirks, lightly elbowing Thor’s arm.

 

    After a brief moment of consideration, Thor sits back down in between them. “I suppose a few hours would be okay. I am exhausted,” he says, letting out a deep breath. Across him, Bruce and Brunnhilde share a smug look with each other and Thor rolls his eyes. “You two are insufferable.”

 

    “We care about you!” Brunnhilde exclaims, elbowing Thor’s side lightly. 

 

    “Yes, but you’re still insufferable.” 

 

    They help Thor undress and lay him down on the bed. He allows himself to relax a little, trying to find some comfort in the rise and fall of Brunnhilde’s chest against his back and the caring look in Bruce’s eyes. 

 

    Seemingly out of nowhere, a rush of affection comes over him and he looks away from Bruce, sniffling. These are two people that love him more than anything in the world and only want what’s best for him. Over the past few months, they have shown him that, but it hadn’t quite hit him until now. There’s a heavy feeling in Thor’s chest that he recognizes one he’s laying in between his two friends. It has been a long time since he has felt genuinely cared for and it takes him a minute to get used to it.

 

    “What’s wrong?” Bruce asks softly, his hand coming up to cup Thor’s face. 

 

    Thor shakes his head. “Nothing, nothing. I’m just feeling a lot right now,” he laughs through new tears, content. “I appreciate the two of you more than anything. I’m sorry I have been such a mess the past few days.”

 

    “No apologizing, you silly man,” Brunnhilde pipes in. She pulls herself closer to Thor, kissing the back of his neck. “We know how hard this has been for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, that’s what we’re here for.”

 

    “Thank you."

 

   After a while of restless attempts to fall asleep, Thor’s breathing finally evens out and Bruce and Brunnhilde allow themselves to relax against him. They exchange a piteous look over Thor, feeling the weight that he has been carrying on his shoulders start to lift with each deep breath he takes. Even in his sleep, his face is heavy with exhaustion. 

 

    Bruce reaches over to Brunnhide, taking hold of her hand. She smiles softly at him, intertwining their fingers and resting their hands on Thor’s arm. For now, they would allow themselves a break as well. Come morning, they would do whatever it takes to bear some of the burden that Thor has taken on, to make life easier for him as he adjusts. Because that’s what family does.


End file.
